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CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK P I A Baby Comedy N G S E pictures night I 2 PAGE 6A PAGE 1B D E 75¢ FRIDAY, July 17, 2009 /20 PAGES, 2 SECTIONS • fbnewsleader.com Husband Swine guilty of flu in murder JASON YURGARTIS Nassau News-Leader RYAN SMITH A jury of nine men and three News-Leader women deliberated for four hours Thursday before returning a verdict There have been three cases of of guilty in the capital murder trial of H1N1 swine flu in Nassau County. All Michael Ratley. The Bryceville man of those who fell ill have recovered. could face the death penalty. The Nassau County Health The case was put in the hands of the Department confirmed Thursday that jury a day after Michael Ratley took the three cases occurred in May and the stand and denied June. Two were members of the same killing Effie Ratley. family, and in all three cases the ill- Ratley, 25, admit- ness originated out of state. The health ted he was nervous department declined to say where in when prompted by the county the sick lived. defense attorney Lee The health department did not Hutton Wednesday report the cases to the public although afternoon at the the cases were reported to the Florida Nassau County Department of Health. Local officials Ratley Judicial Annex in Students chose not to inform the public because Yulee. there was already sufficient awareness But he answered of the virus, according to county questions for more than two hours Disease Control Director Kim Geib. ranging from how he and Effie met to prepare “From an (epidemiology) stand- the events that led to her death at age point we weren’t that concerned. ... 29 on Jan. 27, 2007. These were mild cases. Never went to After revisiting at length the cou- the hospital or anything,” Geib said. ple’s life together and getting the defen- for jobs, Geib said the victims were treated dant’s version of the crime, Hutton and monitored until the danger of trans- asked Ratley if he murdered his wife. mitting the illness had passed. “Usually “No sir, I did not,” he replied. you’re considered contagious for seven The jury unanimously disagreed. and life days after your first symptoms. One day before and seven days after ... so TRIAL Continued on 3A SIÂN PERRY we had people stay home,” she said. News-Leader “They didn’t go anywhere for seven days.” When Chef William Castleberry Geib said state privacy regulations agreed to teach high school kids in prohibit her from releasing where in a summer career education pro- the county the victims were from. gram, he never dreamed he would “They’re small cities, and people could Noise be the one doing the learning. But figure out (who contracted the virus).” the students in his culinary arts The mildness of the cases was one class at the Lewis “Red” Bean reason the health department chose Technical Career Center in Yulee PHOTOS BY SIÂN PERRY/NEWS-LEADER not to release the information, she said. have taught him a thing or two. Inside the automotive lab at Yulee High School, instructor Ron “We felt like people had sufficient law is “I served in Vietnam, and Kennison teaches the workings of a drill to Nassau County high awareness to protect themselves – and they’re as much of a team as you’d school students taking part in a career education summer pro- (the illness) had been acquired out of find in Special Ops in the military,” gram, top. Alexa Doyle, above, stirs a pot of spaghetti sauce in the said Castleberry. “You don’t even culinary arts class held at the Lewis “Red” Bean Technical FLU Continued on 3A find this in upscale hotel kitchens. Career Center in Yulee. Cody Lyons, below, and Aaron There’s no ego here. The hardest Highsmith, bottom, work on a construction project as part of the official thing about this whole program is, program funded through a federal American Recovery and ‘Chef, what can do I do next? What Reinvestment Act grant. ANGELA DAUGHTRY can I do next?’ It’s awesome. ... I Callahan News-Leader always blame myself when class- es aren’t as successful as they The city’s new noise ordinance was should be, but these kids have finally passed with little fanfare taught me I can only be as good as boy’s death Tuesday evening at its fifth public read- they allow me to be.” ing in City Hall. Castleberry is one of five The vote was 3-1, with instructors in the three-week pro- led to alert Commissioner Ken Walker voting gram funded through a $32,000 against. Vice Mayor Eric Childers was American Recovery and absent. Reinvestment Act grant adminis- KATHIE COLGROVE There were still a few downtown tered by WorkSource and overseen Community Newspapers residents and business owners, how- by Jim Burns, transition coordina- ever, who appeared to have serious tor for exceptional student educa- Although health officials would not doubts about the ethical history or tion at the Nassau County School confirm it, a 13-year-old Callahan boy effectiveness of the ordinance. District. died July 10, possibly of fatal menin- Anthony DeLucia, owner of the Thirty-two local high school stu- gitis. Autopsy results are pending and Green Turtle Tavern, which has been dents, all facing different social and the cause of death will not be known for subject to repeated noise complaints academic challenges, were chosen several weeks. by next-door Florida House Inn, said on the recommendation of their The Nassau County Health the ordinance was “contrived and teachers to study one of five career Department issued brewed up behind closed doors.” He paths: culinary arts, medical skills, an alert after the referred to a recent article in the News- child care, automotive and con- death because it Leader that pointed to a possible struction. The auto and construc- could be fatal menin- Sunshine Law violation by a former tion courses are held at Yulee High gitis, but it declined city commission that may have given School and the others at the Bean to reveal where the the new ordinance a legal “leg up” Center. child lived. because the city wanted to avoid a law- While the students are becom- Dalton Nettles, a suit. ing educated about career choic- Callahan Middle Because of that alleged Sunshine es, learning valuable job skills and School seventh- Dalton Law violation, DeLucia said Joe and earning $100 per week, the pro- grade student, was Diane Warwick, owners of the Florida gram encompasses much more, treated for an ear House Inn, were “essentially black- noted Burns. infection July 2, after swimming in a mailing the city to get their way.” “I think we’re hitting a lot of dif- pond. Dalton returned to the emer- “This senseless litigation has gone ferent things that will get students gency room July 8. As his health began on for five years,” DeLucia said of the better prepared for post-secondary to worsen, he was put on life support, noise complaints. “I do not run an life -– not just jobs, but life,” he family friend Judy Cooper wrote in an establishment that has affected anyone said, referring in part to morning e-mail July 9. else negatively.” rotations that focus on personal “There are no words to express the City Attorney Tammi Bach said, and social skills. sadness and sorrow we feel in the loss however, that any allegations of a “Group talk,” led by Sutton of Dalton. I have cried a river since “back-door deal,” as DeLucia called it, Place Behavioral Health, tackles seeing him on (July 9),” Cooper wrote were false. issues such as self-esteem, trust in an e-mail Saturday. “The only reason the city commis- and how to interact with other peo- On Monday, family members sion has addressed a noise ordinance ple, and coaching in team building shared their memories of the boy who is because we had an unenforceable by FCCJ staff “gets people to learn loved the outdoors and had a zest for noise ordinance,” Bach said. how to work with each other,” said life. “Bubbie is loving and caring and I NOISE Continued on 3A SCHOOL Continued on 4A DEATH Continued on 3A News-Leader INDEX LEISURE ........................................................ 1B SEA TURTLE NESTING SEASON 155th year. No. 57 CLASSIFIEDS .............................. 3B OBITUARIES ........................................... 2A 2009 Nests: 69 2008 Nests: 128 Copyright, 2009 CROSSWORD ............................ 2B OUT AND ABOUT ................. 2B 2 lost due to recent storms The News-Leader EDITORIAL .................................. 7A SERVICE DIRECTORY ...................... 3B Please turn off or redirect lights shining Fernandina Beach, FL FISHING ..................................... 14A SPORTS .................................................... 12A directly on the beach. For a detailed count Printed on 100% recycled HOMES ..................................................... 10A SUDOKU .................................................... 2B newsprint with soy based ink. see www.ameliaislandseaturtlewatch.com . CYAN MAGENTA YELLOW BLACK 2A FRIDAY, July 17, 2009 NEWS News-Leader LOOKING BACK State parks free on Sunday 50 YEARS AGO unanimously approved plans for Summer Beach, a 2,414- unit development on south TALLAHASSEE – The Florida “The value of state ters, there are countless activities to A new street was under Amelia Island. Department of Environmental PPAAGGEE parks is much greater experience and enjoy. Visitors to the construction to link Franklin July 18, 1984 Protection’s (DEP) Florida Park Service than often realized, Rediscover Florida website can explore Street and Stanley Drive, will waive entrance fees at all state parks impacting healthy an interactive list of 100 activities and saving drivers 10 minutes on 10 YEARS AGO on Sunday – recognizing National Parks lifestyles, educating track how many of the activities they can trips to Container Corp.